Ears

Allergy

Head & Kneck

Difficulty Breathing

Difficulty Breathing can be tied to nasal congestion or stuffy nose: a very common condition your Ears, Nose & Throat doctor diagnoses and treats at all times of the year. A stuffed up nose isn’t caused by mucus but rather by inflamed nasal tissue lining.

Symptoms & Causes

First it’s important to find out the cause of the symptom. Sometimes sinusitis can cause nasal congestion and other times allergies are to blame. Sinusitis treatments can range from home remedies to antibiotics while nasal congestion due to allergies might be treated by an antihistamine. Contact your doctor if you have blurred vision, swelling of the forehead, coughing fits for more than 10 days or a stuffy nose lasting longer than a couple weeks.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Your doctor might conduct an allergy skin test, blood test or take a chest x-ray. Depending upon the findings the physician will then prescribe either a home remedy, over-the-counter medicine like pseudoephedrine or a nasal spray. The doctor might also write you a prescription for an oral decongestant if he or she thinks that might help most.

Prevention

Preventing nasal congestion is like preventing the common cold: pretty difficult. Wash your hands frequently, avoid germs, use a humidifier, and make sure not to put too much pressure on your nose.